Panthers prevail

Mead senior guard Brendon Myers missed his first five shots. In the end, though, he made the ones that counted the most.

Myers made four free throws in the final 26 seconds as the visiting Panthers held off a Shadle Park rally 60-57 in Greater Spokane League boys basketball action Friday.

“I’ve never made more important free throws,” Myers said.

He completed a three-point play with 2:11 remaining that gave the Panthers the lead for good at 56-55.

Trailing by as many as 15 points, the Highlanders’ final lead came 40 seconds earlier at 55-53 when Taylor Pettersen hit a baseline jumper.

Mead (8-4, 6-1) pulled into a first-place tie based on losses with Gonzaga Prep (6-1) and Shadle (9-3, 5-1).

The Panthers used a balanced attack to stop the Highlanders. Four players scored in double figures and a fifth had nine points.

After an evenly played first quarter, Mead used a 14-5 run in the second period to open a 29-21 lead. Then the Panthers closed out the quarter with a 9-2 spurt, allowing Mead to go into intermission with a 38-25 lead.

“We were probably as efficient as we’ve been all year (in the first half),” Mead coach Glenn Williams said. “I thought we played good (defense). I thought at times we had them a little unsettled.”

Part of the Highlanders’ undoing in the first half was giving up four second-chance baskets. Another problem was Shadle concentrated so hard on trying to stop Mead post Aaron Dunn that it gave the other Panthers wide-open looks.

Mead made 10 of 16 shots from the field in the second quarter, 16 of 29 for the half.

“Our team’s really good at ball movement and we get good shots off of it,” Myers said. “We’re good at giving up a good shot for even better shots.”

The Highlanders did a much better job of breaking Mead’s full-court pressure in the second half, and they just weren’t satisfied with getting through the pressure. They also attacked the basket better.

In the fourth quarter, the Highlanders got a couple of stops, fueling a 12-3 run. They pulled even at 51 when Andersen made two free throws with 4:51 to play.

Dunn led Mead with 14 points and Myers had 13. Taylor Farnsworth had a game-high eight rebounds. Robby Douglas led Shadle with 20 points and seven rebounds.

“All I told the kids at halftime was they’re not going to shoot it like that in the second half and we’re going to peck away and have a chance to win this thing,” Highlanders coach Tim Gaebe said.

Gonzaga Prep 69, North Central 41: The visiting Bullpups blew the game open in the second half, outscoring the Indians 40-20. Ryan Nicholas led G-Prep (11-1, 6-1) with 23 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Antoine led NC (6-6, 4-2) with 13 points.

Central Valley 62, East Valley 35: Hot shooting propelled the host Bears (5-6, 1-5) to a 16-4 lead in the first quarter and they never looked back.

Scott Simon led CV with 16 points. Ryan McIntyre led EV (2-10, 1-5) with 11.

Lewis and Clark 76, Rogers 63: Levi Taylor and Austin Ehlo combined for 42 points as the visiting Tigers (5-7, 3-4) topped the Pirates (6-6, 2-4).

Taylor had a game-high 23 and Ehlo chipped in 19. Dillon Franklin led Rogers with 19.

Ferris 75, Mt. Spokane 55: The visiting Saxons (7-5, 5-2) used a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap for a 41-19 lead by halftime.

Riley Stockton and Chris Wilson had 15 points apiece to lead Ferris. Hunter Hahn led the Wildcats (1-11, 0-6) with 14.